Nova Sich () or Pidpilnenska Sich () was the administrative and military center of the

Zaporozhian Cossacks The Zaporozhian Cossacks (in Latin ''Cossacorum Zaporoviensis''), also known as the Zaporozhian Cossack Army or the Zaporozhian Host (), were Cossacks who lived beyond (that is, downstream from) the Dnieper Rapids. Along with Registered Cossa ...

in 1734–1775, established after the return of the

Zaporozhian Host The Zaporozhian Host (), or Zaporozhian Sich () is a term for a military force inhabiting or originating from Zaporizhzhia, the territory in what is Southern and Central Ukraine today, beyond the rapids of the Dnieper River, from the 15th to th ...

's Lowland Army unto the Russian protectorate as a result of the signing of the Lubny Treaty. The last

Zaporozhian Sich The Zaporozhian Sich (, , ; also ) was a semi-autonomous polity and proto-state of Zaporozhian Cossacks that existed between the 16th to 18th centuries, for the latter part of that period as an autonomous stratocratic state within the Cossa ...

was located on a large peninsula, washed by the

river Pidpilna A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it run ...

(a tributary of the

Dnieper The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...

Establishment

Nova Sich was founded with the permission and under the supervision of the

Russian government The Russian Government () or fully titled the Government of the Russian Federation () is the highest federal executive governmental body of the Russian Federation. It is accountable to the president of the Russian Federation and controlled by ...

on March 31, 1734, by Ataman-Hetman I. Malashevich on the Right Bank of the

in the Great Meadow, which occupied 26 thousand acres. The basis for the continued existence of the Nova Sich as a territory was signed in 1734, the Lubny Treaty on the recognition of the Russian protectorate by the

Cossacks The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic languages, East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borde ...

. To oversee the actions of the Cossacks, the imperial government built a fortification 2 km from the Nova Sich with two half-bastions and a permanent garrison - the so-called Nova Sich retransmission. According to historians, the Nova Sich retrenchment was erected in the Sich by the imperial government for the ostentatious purpose of helping the Cossacks in their

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

with the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

, but in reality, for the hidden purpose of keeping them in their hands. However, the Cossacks well understood the reason for the construction of the Russian

citadel A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...

, expressing their dissatisfaction with the words: "We have a Moscow sore liver." Given the historical events that took place during the existence of the Nova Sich, we must recognize that the imperial government achieved its goal by dissuading the Sich from participating in the nationwide struggle against deprivation.

Location and components of the Sich

On three sides, Sich was surrounded by a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Dnieper River Pidpilna, which sailed Zaporozhian chaiky and Turkish and Greek merchant ships (tumbasy), which sailed to the Sich harbor in the river bay Ustup. On the north-eastern side of the underground separated branch - the river Sysyna, flows into the Dnieper. Sich was a city - a fortress surrounded by a

rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...

and palisades. The Underground Sich consisted of three parts: the suburbs, or the so-called shop

bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...

, where all tents and visitors had their shops and taverns for trade, where there were houses of market atamans and military canary or keeper of scales. This suburb was called Hassan-Basha. From it began the gate that led to the ''kish''—the main fortification, where around the Sich Square were located 38 huts. The huts were spacious barracks. Between the huts of the Ustup Bay and the Podpilna River is the Inner Kish or Palanka, separated by a wall from the Outer Kosh. Palanka housed the houses of the Kosh Ataman and Sich officers, as well as the Sich Cathedral Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, the military chancellery, the treasury, and the houses of the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

. To the west of Kosh was the

fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

of the Nova Sich retrenchment built by the tsarist government to control Sich. There was a Russian

commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

with a garrison of land

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

regiments.

History

It is noteworthy that it was during the existence of the Nova Sich that an independent Cossack-military group called the

Haidamaky The haydamaks, also haidamakas or haidamaky or haidamaks ( ''haidamaka''; ''haidamaky'', from and ) were soldiers of Ukrainian Cossacks, Ukrainian Cossack paramilitary outfits composed of commoners (peasants, craftsmen), and impoverished nob ...

emerged. The Haydamatsky movement began in 1734 with the inaction of the first Nova Sich

Ataman Ataman (variants: ''otaman'', ''wataman'', ''vataman''; ; ) was a title of Cossack and haidamak leaders of various kinds. In the Russian Empire, the term was the official title of the supreme military commanders of the Cossack armies. The Ukra ...

Hetman ''Hetman'' is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders (comparable to a field marshal or imperial marshal in the Holy Roman Empire). First used by the Czechs in Bohemia in the 15th century, ...

I. Malashevych in the protection of the rights and freedoms of the

Ukrainian people Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the second largest ethno-linguistic community. At around 46 million worldwide, Ukr ...

, when in 1734-1738 large detachments of insurgents led by G. Goly, M. Golim, M. Mane, S. Chalym and others. An

epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infection ...

broke out in the Sich in 1760, and entry and exit from the Sich were banned. In 1768 a Cossack revolt (known as the "Gray revolt") broke out, during which the Kosh Ataman Kalnyshevskyi and the Cossack

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

hid in the Nova Sich retrenchment. The rebels tried to choose Philip Fedoriv but were quickly dispersed. The Zaporozhian Army left the Nova Sich for the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739 and the War of 1768–1774.

Destruction

In early June 1775, by order of

Catherine II Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III ...

, the Nova Sich was destroyed, and the

liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

of the Zaporozhian Army was annulled. After the end of the

Russo-Turkish War (1768-1774) The Russo-Turkish wars ( ), or the Russo-Ottoman wars (), began in 1568 and continued intermittently until 1918. They consisted of twelve conflicts in total, making them one of the longest series of wars in the history of Europe. All but four of ...

, in which the Zaporozhian Cossacks took an active part,

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Peter Tekeli Peter Tekeli (; ;''Popović'' is often omitted. ; 1720–1792) was a Russian general-in-chief of Serb origin. He achieved the highest rank among the Serbs who served in the Imperial Russian Army. Tekeli was born in a noble family of military tr ...

led 10

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

, 13 Russian Cossack, 8

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

regular

regiments A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service, or specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted in one ...

, 20

hussars A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...

, and 17 Picker squadrons to the Sich. Despite the small number, the Cossacks appealed to the Kosh Ataman Peter Kalnyshevsky for permission to defend himself to death. However, wealthy officers advised Koshov to give in without any conditions; in addition, the priest of the Sich Church of the Intercession, Volodymyr Sokalsky, began to ask that they avoid

fratricide Fratricide (; – the assimilated root of 'to kill, cut down') is the act of killing one's own brother. It can either be done directly or via the use of either a hired or an indoctrinated intermediary (an assassin). The victim need not be ...

. In the end, the Kosh Ataman surrendered Sich without a fight. On June 4, 1775, the Nova (Pidpilnenska) Sich ceased to exist. On the site of the Sich, the village of Pokrovske later appeared, which in the 1950s was submerged under the waters of the artificial

Kakhovka Reservoir The Kakhovka Reservoir () was a water reservoir on the Dnieper River in Ukraine. It was created in 1956 by construction of the Kakhovka Dam at Nova Kakhovka. It was one of several reservoirs in the Dnieper reservoir cascade. The dam was breac ...

. The reservoir was drained following the

destruction of the Kakhovka Dam The Kakhovka Dam was Dam failure, breached in the early hours of 6 June 2023, causing extensive flooding along the lower Dnieper, Dnieper river, also called the Dnipro, in Kherson Oblast. The dam was Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast, ...

in 2023.

Sources

* ''В. В. Панашенко''
Нова Січ
// Енциклопедія історії України : у 10 т. / редкол.: В. А. Смолій (голова) та ін. ; Інститут історії України НАН України. — К. : Наукова думка, 2010. — Т. 7 : Мл — О. — С. 437. — 728 с. : іл. —

References

External links

Нова Січ
// Юридична енциклопедія : � 6 т./ ред. кол.: Ю. С. Шемшученко (відп. ред.) �а ін. — К. : Українська енциклопедія ім. М. П. Бажана, 2002. — Т. 4 : Н — П. — 720 с. — {{ISBN, 966-7492-04-4 * Підпільна // Українська мала енциклопедія : 16 кн. : у 8 т. / проф. Є. Онацький. — Накладом Адміністратури УАПЦ в Аргентині. — Буенос-Айрес, 1963. — Т. 6, кн. XI : Літери Пере — По. — С. 1381. — 1000 екз Former populated places in Ukraine Zaporizhian Sich Early modern history of Ukraine History of the Cossacks in Ukraine States and territories disestablished in 1775 Zaporozhian Cossacks Zaporozhian Host